There’s an old English proverb that says: A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays. Leaving the validity and the wishful thinking of the proverb aside, cats can seem indestructible. They can climb high trees, leap and safely land from incredible heights.
But our feline friends, however agile are still susceptible to accidents and illnesses, just the same as dogs and kids. Therefore, purchasing cat insurance, rather than maxing out your personal finances, can be a good idea. In this article, we’ll give you four reasons why getting pet health insurance for your cat is worth the cost.
1. Cat Insurance Can Catch Health Issues Early
Hiding is in a cat’s nature and can lead pet parents to find their feline in a host of interesting places. Unfortunately, it can also be a sign of injury or illness. Yes, it’s true, cats are masters at hiding symptoms when something is wrong. They might be conserving energy or avoiding pain; they might be suffering from something benign or have a chronic condition affecting their kidneys or heart.
So, with a cat, out of sight shouldn’t mean out of mind. It’s important to be aware of your cat’s habits and their potential health needs. Having a pet insurance policy for your cat can help you afford diagnostics and tests critical to discovering or identifying possible health issues. Catching injuries and illnesses early allows your cat to receive treatment sooner and hopefully lead to a successful outcome.
2. Feline Diseases Affect Both Indoor and Outdoor Cats
Indoor cats might be less prone to accidental injuries than outdoor cats, but both types of cats are still at risk for feline diseases. Being indoors doesn’t protect them from common cat health problems which include:
- Cystitis
- Digestive upsets
- Diabetes
- Thyroid disease
- Leukemia
- Kidney failure
- Heart disease
- Cancer
Cats that primarily spend their time outdoors get to enjoy their natural environment and partake in things like hunting, exploring, and climbing. But being outside puts them in contact with wildlife and other companion animals. This exposure increases their risk of contracting diseases like feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), bartonellosis, and rabies. The risk of disease and parasites is greater if your cat is not vaccinated and doesn’t receive a parasite preventative. A portion of the cost of both vaccines and parasite preventatives can be offset by adding optional routine care coverage to a cat insurance policy.
3. Increasing Cost of Veterinary Care
It is a common fallacy that treating a cat is not as expensive as treating other animals. Cats tend to have fewer veterinary visits overall, but when they do have an emergency, an injury, an or illness, the veterinarian costs can still be substantial. Many believe that dogs are brought in for veterinary services more often than cats because of the point we mentioned earlier: cats are good at hiding their ailments.
In addition, perception plays a role in this dynamic. Cats are seen as being self-sufficient and independent, whereas dogs are looked upon as being more dependent on humans for their needs and care. All of this being said, the cost of wellness exams, accidents and unexpected illnesses, and surgeries always adds up for conscientious and caring cat owners.
4. Cat Insurance Improves Access to Veterinary Care
Pet owners who have insurance for their cats are able to afford the veterinary care that their beloved felines require as they age. This is an important point as the cost of veterinary care is constantly rising and veterinary medical advances offer far more treatment options than ever before. While the latter fact is good news, new medical technology comes at a higher cost.
No matter how many cost increases occur in veterinary care, pet insurance helps by reimbursing you on your cat’s healthcare bills. In fact, Pets Best can help pet parents get reimbursed up to 90% of their cat’s veterinary costs for covered conditions.* With Pets Best pet insurance for cats, pet parents don’t have to decide between providing their cats the best treatments options possible and maxing out their personal finances.
*Terms and conditions apply, see policy for details.